Much has been said about being in the present.It’s the place to be, according to the gurus,like the latest club on the downtown scene,but no one, it seems, is able to give you directions.

It doesn’t seem desirable or even possibleto wake up every morning and beginleaping from one second into the nextuntil you fall exhausted back into bed.

Plush, there’d be no pastwith so many scenes to savor and regret,and no future, the place you will diebut not before flying around with a jet-pack.

The trouble with the present isthat it’s always in a state of vanishing.Take the second it takes to endthis sentence with a period–already gone.

What about the moment that existsbetween banging your thumb with a hammer and realizingyou are in a whole lot of pain?

What about the one that occursafter you hear the punch linebut before you get the joke?Is the where the wise men want us to live

in that intervening tick, the time slotthat occurs after you have spent hourssearching downtown for that new cluband just before you die up and head back home?(THE RAIN IN PORTUGAL, Random House, 2016)

T I C K-T O C K-T I C K-T O C K

If you’re anything like me the other 8 Billion Plus People in the World

you have based your life on the

NINE MOST INFAMOUS WORDS KNOWN TO HUMANITY:

IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THET I M E

which brings us to another important question

(AND IT IS NOT:HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME?)

How CAN YOU
Have the Most Fun in Your Free Time?

The calendar is an indispensable tool in our over-committed and over-stimulated culture, and one no longer reserved solely for work commitments and appointments. Many busy people, faced with ever-dwindling free time, resort to scheduling everything from time with friends and family to coffee on the deck with your spouse.

But is scheduling your free time a good idea ?

Researchers from Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business and Rutgers Business School evaluated existing research (much of it their own) on time management tactics and how they affect the uptake, outcome and enjoyment of various activities. Many of their assessments, which are published in the journal Current Opinion in Psychology, are in line with conventional productivity wisdom. They determined that scheduling an activity increases the likelihood that it’ll get done, for example, and that multitasking helps people achieve more, but with spottier results.

When it comes to enjoying leisure activities, however, the researchers found that classic time management strategies may backfire. Just as with work tasks or errands, science shows that getting fun activities on the calendar increases your chances of getting them done — but there’s a cost, according to the researchers’ analysis. Here’s how to plan your free time without sacrificing fun.

Keep it vague

Studies have shown that any amount of scheduling may reduce your enjoyment of leisure activities by disrupting their “free-flowing nature,” the researchers write. But if putting a friend date or shopping trip in your planner is the only way it’ll get done, keep the timing as loose as possible. The researchers suggest designating chunks of time rather than specific hours — “after work” is better than “at 6 p.m.,” for example.

Give yourself time

When you find yourself with an expanse of free time, it’s tempting to squeeze in as many fun activities as possible. But studies show that imposing a hard stop on a fun activity — even if it’s to start another pleasant thing — will subconsciously affect your ability to enjoy it while it’s happening. This phenomenon, the researchers write, may be related to our tendency to underestimate how much we can fit into blocks of time — hence why you may find yourself whittling away the 30 minutes before a meeting instead of starting a new task. When it comes to free time, letting the day unfold organically is a better strategy.

Stay in the moment

In a similar vein, the analysis showed that, independent of time pressure, the “mere knowledge of future upcoming activities may also undermine enjoyment,” perhaps because it takes participants out of the moment and splits their attention. The researchers recommend resisting the temptation to over-plan, and instead focusing on one activity at a time. . .

SIGN UP & NEVER MISS A POST!

My name is Chuck Behrens, serving others to help others serve. I value your time and take your readership seriously. Follow along and together lets become Expert Members of Triple A: Accessible. Accountable. Available.